Over the years, a number of American Hockey League franchises have come and gone, with varying degrees of success. Through it all, the Hershey Bears have established themselves as one of the top teams in the league.
With the dual role of AHL teams to develop talent for their NHL parent club as well as strive for a Calder Cup, tickets aren’t always an easy sell at the minor pro level. That memo apparently never reached the town of Hershey.
An AHL-best 10-time Calder Cup champion – with their most recent triumph coming in June 2009 – and the league leader in regular season attendance from 2006-07 through 2008-09, the Bears’ success on the ice and at the gate hasn’t gone without notice. In August 2009, SportsBusiness Journal released its rankings of minor league markets across the United States and sitting at No. 1 was Hershey.
Hershey Bears History – The Early Years
Nicknamed “Chocolate Town” thanks to the empire built by Milton S. Hershey, it wasn’t long before it became a hockey town as well. After witnessing the success of the Swathmore A.C., Hershey and John B. Sollenberger joined forces to create the Hershey Hockey Club in 1932. The team would be known as the Hershey B’Ars and donned maroon and silver uniforms, matching the wrapper colors of the famous candy bar.
With “Hershey B’Ars” deemed too commercial by the Eastern Amateur Hockey League, as well as New York sportswriters, the club was renamed the “Hershey Bears” in 1936. Though the new moniker would appear to be a simple typographical change, it actually stemmed from a reference to when the team played at Madison Square Garden; there, they were referred to as “the Bears from Penn’s Woods”.
Coinciding with the team’s name change was a change in arena. The 1,900-seat Ice Palace was regularly filled and as such, Milton Hershey opted to build a new venue for his franchise. In 1936, HersheyPark Arena was born, with a capacity of nearly 8,000.
In 1938, the franchise joined the American Hockey League, then known as the International-American Hockey League. The league’s newest members, who were riding a three-peat of the Eastern Amateur Hockey League championship, enjoyed a successful debut campaign in the AHL. The Bears finished first in the Western Division before falling to the Philadelphia Ramblers in the opening round of the playoffs.
Bears’ Calder Cup Championships
It would be nearly a decade before the team would hoist the Calder Cup. In 1946-47, Hershey topped the Pittsburgh Hornets in a seven-game series to claim its first AHL title. The run marked the team’s fourth appearance in the Finals since joining the league.
The club would go on to win nine more through 2009:
- 1957-58
- 1958-59
- 1968-69
- 1973-74
- 1979-80
- 1987-88
- 1996-97
- 2005-06
- 2008-09
In addition to their 10 crowns, the Bears have made it to the Finals on 11 other occasions.
Bears Still Successful After NHL Lockout
The Bears have enjoyed continued success in their market even with the return of NHL hockey in 2005-06. Fans still fill the 10,500-seat Giant Center nearly to capacity to put the club consistently among the top five teams in league attendance. As well, according to SportsBusiness Journal, the franchise has seen a 2,500-spike in season ticket sales since the Giant Center opened in 2002 and has been “at or near the top of AHL merchandise sales annually.”
Both players and coaches - including current Caps bench boss Bruce Boudreau – have graduated to the Washington Capitals, the team's NHL affiliate since April 2005. At least a dozen players have made it to the American capital in some form, be it on a full-time basis or extended call-up.
With three Calder Cup Final appearances and two titles in four years, it would be appear that hockey fans in Hershey will be savoring success for many years to come.
Sources:
“Hershey Bears History”. Official Website of the Hershey Bears.
“Sweet Success”, David Broughton. August 24, 2009. SportsBusiness Journal online.
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Emily Crawford - Emily Crawford is an experienced print journalist and broadcast producer whose career has seen her cover several topical domains.
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